Recently, techniques for highly accurately cutting objects to be processed having various laminate structures such as one in which a semiconductor active layer of GaN or the like is grown as a crystal on an Al2O3 substrate for a semiconductor device, one in which a glass substrate is attached onto another glass substrate for a liquid crystal display unit, etc. have been in demand.
In general, blade dicing and diamond scribing have conventionally been employed for cutting the objects to be processed having these laminate structures.
The blade dicing is a method in which an object to be processed is shaven and cut with a diamond blade or the like. On the other hand, the diamond scribing is a method in which the front face of an object to be processed is provided with a scribe line by a diamond-point tool, and a knife edge is pressed against the rear face of the object along the scribe line, so as to divide and cut the object.